Page 237 of The Broken Aztec Princesses

“You’re not being very fair to us, Bells. We’re supposed to be a family. Why didn’t you talk to us when you found out so we could come up with more options?” Lucien was trying to keep his calm, but I could see the same hurt in his voice as with Cory.

“It’s my decision.”

“We’re fami—”

“How many times did you go visit me in Redmon, Lucien? I was there for eight years. Did any of you visit more than a handful of times?”

The hurt in her questions was visible on her face as she looked around the table. People looked away, unable to answer her question.

“I call—” Lucien started to defend himself, but Bells was having none of it.

“Don’t tell me that I needed to make this a family decision, when I’ve had to make them by myself for the last eight years,” she stopped him. The room went silent again as she told them the hard truth, and Bells sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that harsh. I understand why no one went. I know you guys didn’t like Brandon any more than I did, even if you didn’t understand why at the time. I also know I curtailed every attempt to visit in the last three or so years before he died, because I was afraid of what you’d do if you saw the way he treated me.”

More tears left her eyes, but then she swallowed and blinked the rest back. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

“We’re getting off-topic. What I decided to do isn’t up for discussion. I wanted you to know what’s happening, so you didn’t wake up to find me gone without an explanation.”

She stood up and left, and I nudged Violet to follow her. I had some things to do first.

The room exploded in cries and protests after both girls were gone, and I slipped from the room and headed toward the forest. I found Cory by the ledge of the river bank.

“You need to go makeup with your sister, Cory,” I told him.

“Go away, Chris.”

“I can’t. I made a promise to help Violet take care of Bells and her pups. This is me making good on that promise.”

“She’s not your sister,” he growled.

“No, but I seem to be acting like a better brother than you right now,” I snapped back.

My harsh words had the intended effect. Cory stood up and charged me, slamming me against a tree. His calm and rational persona was gone; replaced by a man who was hurting more than I could ever imagine.

“You seem to be in on everything, don’t you?” he snarled, even as more tears ran down his face. “You know who the father is. You know what happened to my sister these last few months. You probably know what happened to her for the last eight years, better than I do. Do you think you’re a better brother than I am, just because you knocked up my little sister?”

“No. I could never replace you. Those girls idolize you.”

“Then, tell me who the father is.”

“I can’t. It’s not my secret to share.”

“Tell me who did this to my sister!” Cory’s alpha command surprised me, and I found myself struggling to keep my mouth shut.

“You don’t want to do this, Cory,” I told him through gritted teeth.

“It’s Alpha,” he seethed.

“Not right now, it isn’t,” I answered, sweat lining my brow as I fought his command. “This isn’t you. You’re a good brother. You don’t want to get this information from anyone but your twin.”

“She won’t tell me anything!” he yelled. “She’s pushed me out of her life, and now it’s going to be permanently.”

“That’s a lie. Bells trusts you with her life. But a mother will protect her pups at all costs, even if that cost is her relationship with her twin. She’s already lost so much. Don’t let her lose you, too.”

I felt the alpha command drop moments before Cory crumbled to his knees and began to sob, as he hung onto my shirt. I took a few steady breaths and sat down next to him.

“Why is this happening? I finally got her back and now I’m losing her for good?” he cried.

“I don’t know,” I answered him honestly, my brows furrowing. It was a good question, though. One I’d been trying to figure out for the last few days. “But, you have less than forty-eight hours with her. You’ll have time to investigate once she goes under. If we find a solution before her wolf dies, Violet will reverse the medical coma.”

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